kiBRARY OF CONGRESS.* 






f UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ^ 



NARRATIVE REMARKS, 

EXPOSITORY NOTES, 

AND 

HISTORICAL CRITICISMS, 

ON TUB 

KEW ENGLAND 



AND INCIDENTALLY ON THE 



MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



■ WHAT DIKE NECESSITIES ON EVEKT HAND, 

CUB ART, OUR STRENGTH, OUR FORTITUDE REQUIRE; 
OF FOES' INTESTINE WHAT A NUMEROUS BAND, 

AGAINST THIS LITTLE THROB OP LIFE CONSPIRE." 




ALBANY: 
MUNSELL, PRINTER. 

1874. 



\-\ 



COMMENDATION. 



To the Historical Societies throughout the United States 
in general, which at this time or may hereafter exist, and to 
the Massachusetts Historical Society in particular, this work 
is commended by the 

Writer. 



" And lives there men who slight immortal fame f 
Who then with incense shall adore our name ? 
But, mortals ! know, 'tis still our greatest pride, 
To blaze those virtues which the good would hide. 



PREFACE. 



It is not expected that any notice will be vouch- 
safed to this work by the parties for whose edifica- 
tion it is intended. When a clan or party has 
committed a mean action, and have shown no 
disposition to make amends for it, that clan or 
party may decide that their best course is to wrap 
themselves up in their dignity, and by lofty airs 
assume that they maintain a character not ac- 
countable, and hence not accessible to those whom 
they have intentionally insulted. 

" Like sophists why will you dispute 

With wisdom so, you do confute 
None but yourselves : for shame be mute." 

" Charlatanism, or accident, may gain applmise, 
genius may miss it. And who can be calm under 
slights and insults which he knows that he does 
not deserve." 

" Thus hath the course of justice wheeled about, 
And left thee but a very prey to time ; 
Having no more but thought of what thou wert, 
To torture thee the more, being what thou art. 



CRITICISMS. 



CHAPTER I. 

How a Leading Historical Society came to have such an awk- 
ward Name — How an attempt to take away the Title of the 
Society's Periodical tvas made and hoio the attempt failed — 
How much had been done hy the Massachusetts Historical 
Society in a given period, and how little — How jealousy was 
fostered in it — How it proceeded to undermine another society. 

" Their obstinacy's ne'er so stiflF, 

As when 'tis in a wrong belief. 
And since our workings-out are crost, 

Throw up the cause before 'tis lost." 

It is to be regretted that a leading Historical 
Society of the country is burdened with such an 
awkward name : and doubtless many of its later 
members have often inquired how it happened. 
One purpose of this paper is to give an explana- 
tion. The few original members of the Society 
found little time to look critically into matters 
necessarily entrusted to individuals of their num- 
ber. An act of incorporation was very early 
agitated, the application for which to the General 
Court was committed to one person, who, being a 



8 

lawyer, was supposed to be qualified to perform 
the service. The whole number constituting the 
Society at its institution was five. Whether the 
member consulted with any of the other four is 
not known, but certainly he did not with the Cor- 
responding Secretary, and there is reason to believe 
he consulted with no one else. However, an act 
was granted, dated March 18th, 1845 ; and, strange 
to say, but two of the original members are named 
in it : these where Charles Ewer and J. Wingate 
Thornton. There was indeed a third name in the 
instrument, and singularly enough, of a man who 
never attended a meeting of the Society before or 
after its institution — a very worthy gentleman 
who died in 1865, much regretted. 

Why the name was put into the Act of Incor- 
poration — New England Historic, Genealogical 
Society,^ instead of New England Historic-Genea- 
logical Society, can only be accounted for in one 
way, and that the reader is left to infer. To use 
a comma in a compound word where a hyphen, 
and nothing else, is proper, is also left for the 
reader's inference. Thus much it was thought 
proper to state for the satisfaction of inquirers who 
desire, or may hereafter desire information as to 
how the Society got its awkward legal name. 



^ la the ensuing pages the name Historical and Genealogical 
JSociefj/, will be used : that being the name originally intended. 



9 

However, in accordance with this error in the 
act of incorporation, a seal was prepared. In this 
too, the comma was of course placed. Most people 
perhaps, did not notice the blunder, or error, at 
the time, or viewed it as a matter of little or no 
importance. The publisher of the Society's period- 
ical never viewed it in any other light than a 
blunder, and on all the covers of it, from volume 
five to ten inclusive, the name was printed with 
the hyphen in the compound word Historic-Genea- 
logical. The seal, however, remained unchanged. 
It may not be amiss to mention here, that the pre- 
paration of the seal was undertaken by H. G. 
Somerby, who, with the aid of F. N. Mitchell, seal 
engraver, executed it. This seal has been in con- 
stant use as the insigne of the Society, and has 
appeared on every issue of the New England Histo- 
rical and Genealogical Register from the publica- 
tion of its first number in 1847, to its last in 1873. 
Why the January number in 1874, was sent out 
without it, is a question to which no satisfactory 
answer is likely to be given. The uniform appear- 
ance of the work for twenty-seven years had given 
it a place in the community of periodicals of infinite 
importance to the work, and not a little to that 
of the Society. It gave an assurance of perma- 
nency which ^Qw periodicals in the land have at- 
tained. The peculiar and distinctive style in which 
2 



10 



the Register has so long appeared has become as 
much looked for by its friends as a Londoner form- 
erly looked for the St. John's Gate of the Gentle- 
man's Magazine. St. John's Gate has been discarded, 
and where is the Gentleman's Magazine ? 

The manner of proceeding to bring about this, 
to all reflecting minds, objectionable change, will 
not now be remarked upon ; suffice it to say, that 
as soon as the number for January 1874, was issued, 
which was the first notice to nearly all concerned, 
that any such change was contemplated, several 
of those gentlemen who had sustained the period- 
ical at its outset and through its difficult stages of 
a struggle for existence, felt that the change was 
not only an injury to the work, but something more 
than that. Whereupon, at the first meeting of the 
Board of Directors of the Society, on February 3d, 
(1874), the following resolution was introduced : — 

" Resolved, that the publishing committee of the 
New England Historic, Genealogical Society, be re- 
quested to order that the Periodical of the Society 
be restored to its original stile, in respect to its 
cover, title-page," etc. This may not be the exact 
wording of the resolution, but it is its exact mean- 
ing. It was pointed, because the Society's seal had 
been discarded, and also a vital part of its name — 
New England. As there was no question as to the 
proprietorship of the Register, and as the board 
was prevei'ited from passing the resolution by an 



11 

adjournment, the supporters of it called up the 
subject at a regular meeting of the Society, on the 
third of March. By an unanimous vote the Society 
referred the matter to the board of directors for 
final action. The board met March 13, and after 
listening to a long, tedious, wordy and irrelevant 
defence of the proceedings by which the New Eng- 
land Historical and Genealogical Register and 
Antiquarian Journal, had been changed to the 
Historical and Genealogical Register, the resolu- 
tion was sustained by a decisive majority.^ 

To return to the name of the Society, which, at 
best is a cumbersome one, and was the occasion of 
considerable discussion by the founders of the in- 
stitution. One member advocated Historical and Ge- 
nealogical Society, and supposed that was to be the 
real name, until the act of incorporation appeared. 
One of the original members was of opinion that 
the name should be, simply " TJte Genealogical So- 
ciety ;" he being a member of the Massachusetts 
Historical Society, suggested that there might be 
some feeling of jealousy among some of the mem- 
bers of that institution if Historical were used as 
proposed : but he was not at all strenuous, and did 
not press the objection. This was Lemuel Shat- 
tuck, Esq. At the same time there was a full ac- 
quiescence in the statement that there was no 

1 See Appendix A. 



12 

really active historical society in the state. It was 
shown that it was some five years since that so- 
ciety had issued anything, and that its last vol- 
ume might be comprehended in an ordinary 
pamphlet ; that materials were both abundant and 
of great importance, which were being destroyed 
by fire and other means every day ; that much of 
what was contained in the volumes published by 
that society was matter already in print and 
required no such reproduction on account of 
scarcity ; especially as they were issued without 
any or but a very feeble editing : one gentleman 
instanced Joluisoiis Wonder-working Providence, 
which was divided into five parts and appeared in 
five different volumes of the collections, occupying 
in its issue a period of about six years ! ! A work 
altogether not equalling an amount of reading 
contained in one number of Mathew Carey's old 
American Museum. 

To return once more to the name of the New 
England Historical and Genealogical Society : seve- 
ral discussions took place from time to time upon it. 
At one time there was a pretty general consent to 
substitute The Neio England Archceological Society, 
but it failed from a cold support. More recently, 
when a building was erected for the institution, a 
gentleman thought it a fitting time to propose a 
suitable name for it. He therefore addressed a 
note to the president, suggesting that it might 



13 

properly be called the Archaeological Building 
OF THE New England Historical and Genealo- 
gical Society. But as the gentleman who made 
the recommendation was not able to accompany 
it with a donation, no notice was taken of the 
suggestion. Such a name for the edifice was 
thought to be singularly appropriate, as there was 
no building bearing the name in New England; that 
Boston, of all localities in this part of the United 
States, was the most suitable one for a building to 
be devoted to archaeological collections and inves- 
tigations ; and this class of investigations was fully 
comprehended by the original founders of the So- 
ciety; at least by all of those who had given 
thought to the subject. 

Until the organization of the new Society the 
Massachusetts Historical Society was nearly inac- 
cessible. It had a large amount of valuable ma- 
terials, but no provision for their being consulted 
by the public, although chiefly donated to be use- 
ful as well as to be preserved. If the works were 
consulted it was at great disadvantage. The col- 
lection lay in a loft in Franklin street over an arch, 
and it may almost literally be said, buried under 
the dustof ages. The librarian, the Rev. Dr. Jenks, 
at the period in question, resided in Crescent place. 
He was kind and accommodating ; but a matter of 
history under investigation must have been very 
pressing to require him to accompany an investi- 



14 

gator, perhaps a stranger, especially in bad weather, 
to the library, situated up two flights of narrow, 
steep, winding stair cases, for the doctor was seldom 
there except by special appointment. Such was 
the situation and condition of the collections of the 
Massachusetts Historical Society for about forty 
years! namely from 1793 to 1833 ; nor was it in 
much better condition for use till some time after 
the organization of the New England Historical 
and Genealogical Society. 

That members of that society should entertain 
jealousies against a new institution for occupying 
ground hitherto scarcely at all broken, was thought 
unworthy of any, except intellects of small cultiva- 
tion, and of men who did not desire to see progress 
in any department of historical knowledge, unless 
it originated with themselves. However, an awak- 
ening was soon noticed in that hitherto sleepy as- 
sociation. New members were taheji in, and from 
a long state of inaction, something like activity 
must be dated as having commenced " about this 
time." That such activity ever would have hap- 
pened, but for the founding of a new society, is not 
asserted, but is left for the reader's decision. What- 
ever that decision may be, it was a satisfaction to 
many to notice animation in that direction, and if 
airs of superiority were assumed by some of its 
members, they had the same right to put them on, 
as other individuals have to put on unbecoming 



15 

garments in which to make themselves appear 
ridiculous. 

Up to the time of this revival it was generally 
understood that the society was the party which 
sought/or persons willing to become members : now 
it would seem, a rather different course began to 
prevail. The society was limited by its act of in- 
corporation as to the number of members which 
should constitute it. That number was at first 
thirty. Soon after the organization of the New 
England Historical and Genealogical Society, the old 
society petitioned the legislature to be allowed 
another thirty. There was probably no opposition 
from any quarter to the enlargement; nor is it 
likely there would have been had the concern asked 
the privilege of taldng in ten times that number. 
It is said there has been still another i7iJi<ition of 
members, making a total of one hundred; also 
that the question has been propounded as to the 
policy of throwing off the tranmiels altogether ; see- 
ing that a monopoly of historical pursuits is not 
likely to succeed ; and hence the i^ of leadership 
of Historical Societies not attainable. 



CHAPTER II. 

How an aristocratic show succeeds — Who are seduced thereby — 
How the seduced are estimated — How the managers of the 
Massachusetts Historical Societi/ proceeded to break tip the 
New England Historical and Genealogical Societi/ — How they 
attempted to prevent its obtaining a Chartei How the Mas- 
sachusetts Historical Society originated — How it came to be 
limited as to its ^lumber of members — How a limitation be- 
came a trammel. 

" There are some things I cannot bear, 
Some looks which rouse my ang-ry hate, 
Some hearts whose h^ve I would not share, 
Till earth and heaven were desolate." 

It rather naturally happens that when any so- 
ciety is considered a secret one, makes an aristo- 
cratic display, and assumes airs which as naturally 
are offensive, that there are people who become am- 
bitious to obtain memberships in such concerns. 
Hence a considerable number of young men who 
had been elected members of the New England 
Historical and Genealogical Society, and put for- 
ward in its management, and who, but for such 
memberships would hardly have been heard of, 
were now ambitious to become members of the ex- 
clusive institution. In this way the new Society 
became a sort of probationary station, from which 
the ranks of the exclusive obtained some of their 
best (?) materials. This course of events would 
elicit no remarks ; while a reflection cannot be kept 



17 

out of sight, that when a member of the new So- 
ciety, so far lost his self respect, as to ignore his 
paternity, he could not hope or expect to retain 
much respect from those to whom he owed his 
elevation. That there should be any such is rather 
a humiliating reflection, but it cannot in truth be 
denied. Their names are reserved, for future use 
if events require them. 

That it was the hope of the managers of the old 
society to break up the new, was evident from the 
plan pursued in detaching its prominent members, 
whenever they could. Their enlargement as to 
numbers, noticed above, was evidently adopted for 
the accomplishment of this object. 

For a few persons who sought a membership in 
the old society there is this apology : that society 
had a large amountof unpubUshed materials highly 
important to those engaged on any branch of New 
England history. Hence to obtain the use of 
those materials a membership was thought to be 
indispensable. But the use of tliose materials 
could serve as an apology to but very few, and the 
majority of that few thought only of the position 
it would give them to be thought to belong to an 
aristocratic, and exclusive society. This common- 
sense statement will not be palatable, but it is 
nevertheless true. 

A few individuals may have a right to form 
3 



18 

themselves into a club, and to choose their asso- 
ciates ; but when such club in effect denies the same 
right to others, they not only make themselves 
contemptible, but deserving of ridicule. This re- 
mark was suggested by an attempt of the Massa- 
chusetts Historical Society, in the legislature of 
the state, to prevent the New England Historical 
and Genealogical Society from obtaining an act of 
incorporation. That such an attempt was actually 
made will cause just astonishment at this day; con- 
sidering it took place in a republican government, 
in the year 1845. 

A petition to incorporate a society, under the 
name of the New England Historical and Genealo- 
gical Society had been presented to the House of 
Eepresentatives. It was referred to a committee 
of which Mr. Charles Francis Adams was chairman. 
Thiscommittee refused an act of incorporation. In 
other words an act of incorporation was denied, in 
the usual polite form — " The petitioners have leave 
to withdraw." Now the grounds of this refusal 
will not be forgotten ; being in themselves too pre- 
posterous to admit of a shadow of apology. The 
grounds of refusal were that such a society was not 
necessary ; that there was one historical society in 
the commonwealth, and that that society was quite 
sufficient to take care of all matters of history 
through all past years and years to come ! ! These 
are not given as the precise words of the chairman ; 



19 

but the language he did use imported nothing else ; 
and hence could be construed into nothing else but 
a declaration of hostility. Now any disinterested 
gentleman in Mr. Chairman Adams's place could 
have had no objection to granting the petition ; but 
Mr. Adams was a* member of the Massachusetts 
Historical Society ; and although merely a nominal 
member, is supposed to have cared next to nothing 
about that institution, the natural and pretty con- 
clusive inference is, that he was influenced by his 
nominal associates of the Massachusetts Historical 
Society to make the adverse report, as above stated. 
There was not probably, at the time of this ap- 
plication to the legislature, a tenth part of its mem- 
bers who had ever heard that there was such an 
institution in the state as a Historical Society ; 
that consequently it could be of little or no utility ; 
therefore an increase of useless institutions might 
well be dispensed with. 

In whatever remarks may be made in this nar- 
rative no reflections are intended to be cast upon 
the founders of the Massachusetts Historical So- 
ciety, or upon their immediate successors ; for the 
writer remembers with pleasure many of them, who 
were among his best friends. He takes pleasure 
also to record, that, it was his happiness to know 
and enjoy the friendship of some of the original 
founders of that society, among whom were Alden 
Bradford, John Davis, Thaddeus Mason Harris, 



20 

John Prince of Salem, and Thomas Walcutt — all 
mentioned in the act of incorporation, dated Feb- 
ruary 19th, 1794. 

ResiDecting the institution of the Massachusetts 
Historical Society, it is pretty well known, especially 
to those interested in historical and antiquarian in- 
vestigations, that, previous to the establishment 
of the Historical Society, but few persons could be 
found whose interest in them attracted much at- 
tention. Indeed the number of such individuals, 
even in Boston, was very small. Of this fact, the 
writerhad,in some respects, the best means of know- 
ing. Hence, when the formation of a society was 
proposed by Jeremy Belknap, the question of its 
feasibility came up, and it was some time before it 
was acted upon affirmatively. At length a few 
kindred spirits met together from time to time in 
a lawyer's office or other place. In this manner 
informal meetings were at first held. These con- 
tinued for about four years, before they collected 
vitality enough to move its members to propose 
the procurement of an act of incorporation. 

It has been a question often asked how it hap- 
pened that the Massachusetts Historical Society 
became limited as to the number of its members in 
its act of incorporation ? and it remains yet unsatis- 
factorily answered. That a society, historical, or 
in any way kindred to it, should be limited as to 
those allowed to cooperate in it, excited questions 



21 



of this kind. Is it a secret society ? Is it its ob- 
ject to grasp and get into its possession rare and 
valuable manuscripts, printed books, and so forth, 
and to keep them from inquirers ? and in that 
way show an importance ? This would be un- 
worthy of men. Is knowledge collected by an 
association to be hidden, sealed up ? If so, the 
smaller the number of individuals associated the 
more likely will be the chances to keep knowledge 
" under a bushel." It is one thing to provide 
for the safety of materials, and quite another and 
different matter for their keepers to exhibit an ex- 
terior of condescension to allow such materials to 
be used. 

Respecting the enlargement of the list of mem- 
bers of the Massachusetts Historical Society, a few 
observations may be appropriate : remarking, by 
the way, that it never having been the practice of 
the writer to question members of that society, 
about its management, though intimate with many 
of them ; what he happens to know was communi- 
cated by various members of it, from time to time, 
as historical affairs happened to be discussed, and 
the revelations contained in their publications. 

That a time would ever come when the trammels 
to limitation would be seriously objectionable, did 
not probably occur to any of the members of the 
first generation, or originators. Indeed no incon- 
venience appears to have been felt from those tram- 



22 

mels until another Historical Society was organized. 
Up to this time, so far as the writer knows, there 
was no special pressure by outside parties for ad- 
mission into the Massachusetts Historical Society, 
but soon after another society was formed, a differ- 
ent aspect became apparent ; as will be noticed by 
and by. 

It would be curious to know what ideas the 
committee of the legislature had in limiting a so- 
ciety of this kind. Did the members of that com- 
mittee imagine, as it seems the petitioners did, that 
no more than thirty men could ever be found in 
Massachusetts who would be capable of investigat- 
ing its history ? This it may be thought is hardly 
a supposable case, as it supposes men possessed of 
minds too narrow for the conduct of the ordinary 
affairs of daily life. Nevertheless it has been sug- 
gested that the originators of the society did not 
suppose they could find persons enough of their 
views to fill up the space left open, namely, for 
thirty, which was the original number. This solu- 
tion is an inference drawn from conversations with 
the late venerable Dr. Harris, the writer's long and 
intimate friend. However this may have been, 
the example set by Dr. Belknap, and the effects of 
his excellent commemorative discourse on the three 
hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America 
by Columbus, had the effect to increase the number 
of inquirers respecting American History. This 



23 

publication was nearly simultaneous with the second 
and third volumes of the History of New Hampshire, 
namely, 1792, not 1793, as stated in the Collections 
of the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. vii, 3d 
series, page 8. Those were written in New Hamp- 
shire, but the author had to go to Philadelphia to 
get his first volume printed, but the second and 
third were printed in Boston. 

For the sake of brevity the Massachusetts His- 
torical Society will be mentioned as the old society 
and the New England Historical and Genealogical 
Society, as the new society. Also for the same 
reason the New England Historical Society will be 
sometimes used instead of its incorporate name. 



CHAPTER III. 

How affairs stood in the Massachusetts Historical Society up to 
1855 — How a rebellion came near hreahing out — How it 
was gotten over and how a new President was put in — Hoib the 
old one felt about it — How a gentleman ivas treated who de- 
sired to introduce a friend — How the character of that friend 
was traduced — How members loere made and how they loere 
ruled — How at length an " Infidel" was to be elected — How 
he declined an election — Hoio his letter of declination loas 
received and what was done about it. 

" Bred in courts betimes tliougli all tliat law 
As yet hatli taught liim is to find a flaw." 

" Yet lie is as abject to those above him, as he is insolent to all 
below him." 

A man had been at the head of the old society 
about five years when the New England Historical 
and Genealogical Society was founded. Though re- 
ticent, so far as known to the writer, on the subject 
of a new Historical Society, except perhaps among 
his immediate followers. With these his word was 
law. Hence, to obtain a membership in the old so- 
ciety the consent of its head, or president, must, first 
of all, be secured ; no matter what the claims of an 
aspirant to such distinction might be. Thus mat- 
ters stood (in the old society) up to 1855. For 
some time previous there had been considerable 
dissatisfaction among the progressive and younger 
members of that society, with the arbitrary pro- 



25 

ceedings of its president ; well understanding that 
his judgment was governed by his prejudices. Thus 
it happened that some gentlemen were kept out of 
thesociet}^ who had the bestclaims to consideration, 
while some others were admitted who had very 
little or non-e at all, because their genuflections were 
far superior to their self respect. This state of 
things having been endured for a considerable 
length of time, something like a rebellion was se- 
cretly fostered among the active members. It 
was finally decided that the only cure for the 
malady was the acquisition of a new president. 
But how it was to be brought about was rather a 
serious as well as a delicate question ; for all con- 
cerned were well aware, that to broach the subject 
required no ordinary nerve, as it might uncork a 
vial of wrath of large" diiPiensions, to exhibitions of 
which some of the members had doubtless been wit- 
nesses. However, suffice it here to say, that in 
some way the desired end was reached by some 
adroit management, probably on the part of a ju- 
dicious committee; {liid thu.s a change was brought 
about, so far as is known to the writer, without 
any serious outbreak, and Mr. Robert C. Winthrop 
was put into the presidential chair of the Massa- 
chusetts Historical Society. 

That the displaced gentleman was sadly aggrieved 
at the conduct of those over whom he hadheld a 
4 



26 

sway little inferior to that of the Great Turk, there 
cannot be much doubt ; for he seemed conscious of 
having been regarded by Jiis society as the great 
fountain head of all matters pertaining to the his- 
tory of New England. There was some reason for 
this, taking into consideration the rather low state 
of American historical literature at that period in 
Massachusetts, and it was in that period (1825), 
that appeared the first volume of his edition of 
Winthrop's Journal. That work, or rather his 
labors upon it, at once placed his name prominently 
before the antiquaries and historical students of 
New England. For an estimate of the manner in 
which the editor performed his labors on Win- 
throp's Journal, as an annotator, the reader is re- 
ferred to the New England Historical and Genea- 
logical Register, volumes vii; and viii, for October 
and January of those years. And here may be 
a suitable place to relate an anecdote or two illus- 
trative of the character of the ex-president of the 
Massachusetts Historical Society. His supremacy 
over his immediate followers cannot be better illus- 
trated, perhaps, than by the relation of the following 
GirGamstance. A gentleman who had been many 
years a member of the society desired the introduc- 
tion of a friend. That friend was well known to 
nearly every member, as one who had paid much 
attention to American history, and had published 
some works in illustration of departments of it. 



27 

The gentleman who wished to propose his friend 
was informed by a party that " the society was 
full ;" in other words, that there was no vacancy. 
Sometime having elapsed, the gentleman again 
made application, and received the same answer. 
" That," replied the gentleman, " shall be no longer 
an excuse," and he thereupon made a vacancy by 
resigning his own membership. These moves were 
entirely unknown to the friend he wished to intro- 
duce. The singularity of this affair is in the fact 
that vacancies had occurred from time to time, 
meanwhile, but the gentleman's application and 
nomination alluded to had been entirely disregarded, 
and the name of the party nominated stood con- 
spicuous on the nomination list of the society for 
some seven years or more ! It is said that a can- 
didate cannot be elected if but one ballot is cast 
against him, and that the election of the proposed 
candidate was constantly kept from an election by 
one vote, and that vote was cast by the president. 
Now it was well known that the nominee, but for 
the opposition of one member, would at any time 
have been elected. At length, when some gentle- 
men, members of the society, had the courage to 
demand the reason of this opposition, they were 
told that the nominee was a free-thinker, a deist, 
or infidel, at the same time not pretending that he 
knew anything with regard to it of his own know- 
ledge. Now this objection will seem the more ex- 



28 

traordinary, as the objector was notorious for his 
profanity, though a deacon of a church, and though 
well acquainted with his presumed infidel, yet had 
never had an unpleasant j)assage with him. Hence 
it was glaringly evident that his opposition was 
under a false pretense ; and that the real cause 
was in that the nominee had never debased him- 
self by begging for a membership as one asking 
alms, and was not of the aristocracy ! 

This particular case is narrated to show how 
the Massachusetts Historical Society sometimes 
made members, and how those that were members 
were ruled. If any of them ever read these re- 
marks, they need not feel flattered by the opinion 
held by the writer of their notions of self respect, 
independence or justice. In other words they well 
deserve the contempt that such obsequiousness ai- 
Wflv^S i;)roduces. 

One other circumstance will be detailed before 
dismissing this part of the subject: premising that 
a very small number of individuals always ma- 
naged the affairs of the society ; that gentlemen are 
made members mainly for the sound of their names 
and the show they might make printed in the lists 
of members, but who would rarely attend a meet- 
ing. Such men as Daniel Webster, Edward Everett, 
Charles Francis Adams, Jared Sparks, John G. 
Palfrey, and others of similar standing. Hence 
these gentlemen are not responsible to any con- 



29 

siderable extent, for the misdeeds of those whom 
they must nevertheless call associates. Sometimes 
the managers, to give their doings the appearance 
of impartiality, would place a name on a committee 
of some one of these gentlemen. It so happened 
that the name of Edward Everett in 1852, was 
placed on the committee whose duty it was to re- 
commend gentlemen for election ; and it so hap- 
pened, perhaps for the first time, that he could take 
any part in the society's business ; hence, perhaps 
unexpectedly, Mr. Everett appeared in the com- 
mittee ; of course all deference was paid him ; and 
as he was no shirk of duties, he examined the list 
of persons proposed for membership. He at once 
noticed a name that had been passed over for 
several years. Whether he, inquired the reason 
for the name being thus neglected, is not stated, 
but it is sufficient to state that the committee were 
unanimous that the nominee in question ought to 
be elected ; but it was well known that unless the 
prejudice of the president could be overcome, the 
result would be as heretofore. He was accordingly 
informed of the unanimity of the committee in 
favor of the nominee. It was rather a bitter potion 
for the ruler, but the popularity of Mr. Everett so 
reduced the bitterness, that he agreed no longer to 
oppose the election of the candidate. From this 
point fair weather was looked for, and several of 
the friends of the neglected nominee were quite 



30 

jubilant ; never imagining that a party thus lionored 
could look upon the action thus initiated but in 
the most favorable light. But this was assuming 
that everybody looked upon the Massachusetts 
Historical Society, as a great source of honor. It 
so chanced that the gentleman did not view the 
honors thus dispensed of any great importance to 
him, or that they were intended to be shoAvered 
down upon him at all. In this state of blissful 
ignorance, a somewhat recent member of the society 
let out the whole proceeding ; all of which indi- 
rectly was communicated to the party so adroitly 
to be honored without his knowledge. On gaining 
this intelligence he at once wrote a letter to the 
recording secretary requesting his name to be 
stricken from their books. Its effect may be ima- 
gined. It was a sort of thunderbolt. No such 
thing had ever happened to the society before. 
There was a stay of proceeding until a decision 
could be arrived at as to what course might be 
pursued under such an anomalous state of things. 
During this suspense the recording secretary re- 
paired to the author of the letter, and with great 
earnestness begged of him to withdraw it ; urging 
many reasons to induce him to do so ; but all to 
no effect. On reporting his doings to the society 
it threw them into a deep quandary. They could 
not well obliterate the record of what had been 
done, and now came the question — What was to 



31 

be done with the gentleman's letter ? After con- 
siderable suspense and apparent doubt, the presi- 
dent ordered it to be recorded ! 

Where there is no provocation insults will 
always recoil upon the heads of their authors. 
Foiled in such attempts, backbiters and hinting 
slanderers are always ready to ply their vocations. 
These are excrescences which find their way into 
every society ; hence the Massachusetts Historical 
Society, has its full share of them. Some of their 
names are on record. 

A result like that just stated was not calculated 
to increase the love of the old society for the new, 
especially where a prominent member of the new 
society had declined to be a candidate for a mem- 
bership in the old. It had the effect of a declara- 
tion from the new society, that there were some 
of its members who could not be bought at so cheap 
a rate ; it showed also that the tactics employed by 
the old society, to detach the working members of 
the new, and thus break it up or so paralyze it 
that it might never be of any importance, could 
not succeed. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Hoio the new President of the Massachusetts Historical Su'cieti/ 
behaved towards the new Society — How the new Society loentto 
the General Court to change a icord in its name, and how the 
old Society interfered — Idoio it exhibited Jealousy arid 
Malice — How an array of singular characters ajypeared be- 
fore an imbecile Committee, and how the spokesman of the 
Massachusetts Historical Society talked svpercilioiis nonsense — 
How the New England Historical and Genealogical Society 
neglected to demand its i-ight subsequently . 

" But man, regardless of to-morrow's ill, 
Nurtures the passion of the present hour ; 
Indulges all the violence of will; 
Thoughtless of mercy, till he needs her power.'' 

It is not proposed to expose the secret manner 
of proceedings instituted by the managers of the 
Massachusetts Historical Society, but merely to 
expose in this chapter an open attempt made by 
its new president to injure the New England His- 
torical and Genealogical Society. That a gentleman 
of Mr. Winthrop's standing should lend himself for 
such an object, to do the bidding of a clique of his 
society, is, to say the least, very extraordinary. 
In other words, that he could have been induced 
by any of the small minds behind the curtain, thus 
to expose himself to ridicule, was at the time 
rather hard to believe ; as he must have known 
that the instigation was spite which he was pre- 



33 

Slimed to be above ; but it is known to the writer 
that Mr. Winthrop went to the recording secretary 
of the new society, and used such arguments as he 
had to induce him to cause the word Historic to be 
struck out of the name of the society ! To those 
knowing this act of the president of the Massa- 
chusetts Historical Society, it was not much of a 
surprise at the course he took in the time of the 
late Southern Rebellion : nor is the surmise alto- 
gether improbable that he diverted an important 
donation from the New England Historical and 
Genealogical Society at a later period. 

The attempt to prevent the New England His- 
torical and Genealogical Society from obtaining a 
charter has already been detailed. The new ef- 
fort, implicating Mr. Winthrop, may be regarded 
as the last great open assault of the enemy. It 
may be compared to the battle of Bunker Hill. 
The enemy carried the works, but the victory was 
dearly purchased. This sanguinary conflict hap- 
pened early in the year 1858 ; a brief account of 
which it is now proposed to sketch. 

As no attention was paid to Mr. Winthrop's 
modest request, above alluded to, the new society 
proceeded to carry out an important object of its 
formation : which was to make the name of the 
society harmonize with the title of its periodical 
publication, " The New England Historical and 
ft 



34 

Genealogical Register." Hence it was proposed so 
far to change the name of the society as to make 
it " the New England Historical and Genealogical 
Society," a change so slight that nobody could have 
supposed that anybody outside of the society would 
have bestowed the slightest attention upon the pro- 
position ; especially as it was nobody's business. 
But it was necessary to go to the General Court 
for its sanction, being already an incorporated so- 
ciety. The importance of the change was very 
material to the institution ; for its periodical had 
done more than everything else to build it up, by 
fully making known the great importance of what 
was undertaken : it had become, in a sense, the 
society itself; and therefore admitted on all hands, 
that the name of the society and its periodical 
should correspond in the manner as above set forth. 
In fact the change was a real necessity. To effect 
this object a petition was handed in to the General 
Court early in 1858, without imagining there would 
be a shadow of opposition to its being granted from 
any quarter. Contrary to all reason and common 
sense this simple change in a name so excited the 
jealousy and malice of the managers of the Massa- 
chusetts Historical Society, that they determined 
to prevent the change asked for, if any kind of 
manoeuvering could be brought to bear to prevent 
it. It was a matter of unequivocal envy on the 
part of a clique of the old society ; although it may 



35 

have appeared to some, that this ground was taken 
to prevent the younger society from any participa- 
tion in the collection of historical materials. But 
this, even in the abstract, would be viewed childish 
in the extreme, and to have originated in heads 
devoid of brains, other than those of animals where 
belligerency was superior to all other instincts. 

However, to thwart the objects of the younger 
society, the members of the old not only got up a 
counter petition to the legislature, but a remon- 
strance also ; and in a discreditable manner pro- 
cured a string of names to it, and succeeded in 
getting a hearing before a committee. This re- 
monstrance, replete with Mse statements, they 
shamelessly printed in their first book of "Pro- 
ceedings." 

A meeting for a hearing was appointed to be 
held on February 1st, 1858. The New England 
Historical and Genealogical Society was duly repre- 
sented, and so far as could be judged the committee 
was disposed to report favorably. The remon- 
strants did not appear ; consequently another hear- 
ing must be had. This non-appearance was evi- 
dently intended for the annoyance of the new society, 
and the committee showed their subserviency by 
allowing the matter to be put off without any reason. 
However that may have been, on the 9th of March, 
following, the enemy appeared in force. The pe- 
titioners were represented by the president, vice 



36 

president, and Dr. Cornell. Vice President Brinley 
made a fair statement respecting the importance 
of the change of name, showing that it was import- 
ant to the society, and interfered with no one else. 
Dr. Cornell took the same ground. The president 
argued that the society had a right to a change of 
name, and that the committee had no right to re- 
fuse it ; that gentlemen in any locality had a right 
to form a historical society and the legislature 
had no right to refuse them an act of incorporation. 

To oppose the grant required, the enemy brought 
Emory Washburn as chief advocate, and old Josiah 
Quincy for — one hardly knows what — except to say 
something at which those who came with him 
might laugh. The principal of these were one W. 
Brigham and Chandler Bobbins. They showed 
their appreciation of the old man's stale jokes by 
grins and shrugs as bo^^s are wont to do at those 
of a clown in a circus. Washburn took up about 
an hour in a sort of laudation of the Massachusetts 
Historical Society, interspersed with here and there 
a supercilious compliment for the members of the 
new society. 

That this committee had been tampered with by 
members of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 
is not asserted, but judging from appearances, the 
chairman of that committee hoped to be elevated 
to a membership by reporting adversely to the pe- 
titioners. At all events he did report adversely, 



37 

and whether rewarded in the manner mentioned 
the writer never took pains to inquire. 

It is sincerely to be regretted that the matter of 
change of name was allowed to stop here, as noth- 
ing but a little perseverance was wanting to have 
secured what was asked for. Why it was not im- 
mediately attended to was mainly owing to the 
many and heavy duties under which the president 
of the society labored, besides his preparations for 
an extended and indefinite sojourn in Europe. 
Meanwhile new officers had been placed at the 
head of the society, who suffered so much time to 
elapse that a renewal of the application to the 
legislature by those who had encountered so much 
disgraceful opposition was deferred. If any mem- 
bers of the New England Historical and Genealogi- 
cal Society relaxed their endeavors in the hope of 
being favorably noticed by the other society, they 
were probably disappointed, and ought to have 
been. 



CHAPTER V. 

How the Spokesman of the Massachusetts Historical Society^ in- 
jiated what that Society had done — How a juxtaposition of 
Facts looh — How a swindle loas passed over — Hoio the, ad- 
vocate Ignorantly or falsely confounded things — Hoio advice 
was vouchsafed to the New Historical and Genealogical 
Society — How Signers to Remonstrances, &c. are obtained — 
How the Massachusetts Historical Society, came into possession 
of the Records of Connecticut — How it coloured the Prince 
Jjibrary aiul how it lost it — How it attempted to keep a 
quantity of the Massachusetts archives accidentally left In its 
possession. 

" How dare tliese worms, ordain'd tlie ground to crawl, 
And on their bellies in the dust co sprawl, 
Mount up, like men, erect on hinder feet, 
And play the hypocrite to all they meet." 

In this chapter it is proposed to review some of 
the statements contained in the " Memorial" of 
the Massachusetts Historical Society, and printed 
in the book of their " Proceedings." In that me- 
morial they begin by setting forth the great amount 
of historical matter their society had published : — 
" Scarce a year," they say, " had elapsed from the 
date of the institution of the society, before its first 
publications were issued : and then vaulting over 
nearly seventy years, add, — "it has now in press 
the thirty-fourth volume of a series of Historical 
Collections." It is well known, that during the 
lifetime of Dr. Jeremy Belknap, there was con- 
siderable activity, and nearly a volume a year was 



39 

issued, extending over about five years; namely 
from 1792 to 1798. Then succeeded years in 
which nothing was done ; thirty-three volumes had 
been published in sixty-seven years ! Now the 
matter in each of these volumes does not exceed 
that in a single number of an ordinary magazine ! 
The writer of the " Memorial's" next leap is to 
Governor Bradford's history. For what credit the 
Massachusetts Historical Society deserves for its 
agency in producing that work the reader who 
would be correctly informed, must turn to the New 
England Historical and Genealogical Register, 
volume IX, where, on pages 231, &c., he may learn 
that the party who appears the most conspicu- 
ous, deserves credit only as a second or third class 
agent. The Massachusetts Records printed and 
managed by a member of the Massachusetts His- 
torical Society, would have afforded Mr. Emory 
Washburn a splendid opportunity to lavish en- 
comiums on the manager of that gigantic swindle — 
for a brief notice of which the reader is referred to 
the Springfield Republican of the period, and to 
the New England Historical and Genealogical 
Register, volume xii, pages 358-9. 

Next, congratulations are put forth with much 
complacency, that the example of the Massachu- 
setts Historical Society has been followed in several 
states. The American Antiquarian Society, is 
next noticed, which, by the way, it should be re- 



40 

marked, is now in a fair way to be absorbed by 
the Massachusetts Historical Society. Next fol- 
lows an intentional misrepresentation. They give 
the name of the society as the Historic-Genealogi- 
cal Society. The falsity here is two fold, first, 
New England is excluded, and second, a hyphen 
instead of a comma is put between Historic and 
Genealogical. The writer of the remonstrance 
then very insultingly and as falsely remarks that 
the new society " has the best wishes of us all" ! ! 
The sinister act of substituting the hjqDhen for the 
comma in the name was to destroy the force of the 
word historical ; thence basing the fallacious argu- 
ment upon historic genealogical, that it had little 
or nothing to do with history, because the name 
meant only the historical part of genealogy. So 
instead of using the name as it stands in the act 
of incorporation, with a comma between New Eng- 
land and Historic, the memorialists well knew 
that a comma in place of a hyphen in that word 
meant atid, if it meant anything, and hence dis- 
honestly substituted the hyphen ; whereupon they 
make the fallacious and puerile argument that the 
new society considered history subordinate to^gene- 
alogy ! This deep logician does not inform his 
readers how much history there was before there 
was any genealogy. 

The next paragraph in the remonstrance sets 
forth the extreme sufferings of the Massachusetts 



41 

Historical Society, because " the two societies have 
been frequently confounded with each other, con- 
tributions and communications" going to the 
wrong society. Now the writer hereof knows that 
mistakes of this kind were rare, and owing entirely 
to carelessness ; he also knows that if either side 
suftered from this carele.ssness it was the New 
England Historical Society. Hence everj' business 
and concern in Boston, beginning with New Eng- 
land should not be allowed to use that name as it 
might interfere with the Massachusetts Historical 
Society. The next objection to the name of the 
New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 
is in effect, that the people employed in the Boston 
post office did not know New England from Mas- 
sachusetts. It took a long paragraph in the re- 
monstrance to bring this charge, and to say what 
is said in two lines above. It is noticed only to 
show the puerility of the author or authors of that 
remonstrance. 

The next matter deserving any notice is a piece 
of gratuitous advice, and is put in this mild form : 
^' Perhaps we might be pardoned for suggesting, in 
behalf of our sister societies in the other New 
England states, as well as in our own behalf, that 
a title which should thus seem to imply an absorp- 
tion of all the state historical societies of New 
England would hardly be for the advantage of any 
6 



42 

of them :" and yet if any of the other Historical 
Societies in New England, are, or have been 
alarmed lest they should be swallowed up by the 
New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 
it has never come to the knowledge of the writer : 
but it will be shown in this narrative that the 
party making this weak accusation has done what 
it is able to do to swallow both the American An- 
tiquarian Society, and the New England Historical 
and Genealogical Society. 

In the next paragraph of five lines the reader 
is informed that the Historical Society " should 
hardly be pardoned if it were to intimate a willing- 
ness to part with its name" ! ! This is sheer namby 
pamby, and it is difficult to conceive that men 
would allow their names to accompany it. 

After the above brilliant conceit comes one 
" suggesting that the adoption of a different name 
might not be inconsistent with their interests or 
their honor" ! ! It is to be wondered why this au- 
thor was not generous enough to propose a name 
for the new society while he was about it, and so 
generous with his advice. And here it is proposed 
to close the notice of the memorial, a work con- 
ceived in spite and arrogance and brought forth 
by folly. As to the signers of this remoihstrahce 
classically called a memorial, but few remarks will 
be made. They numbered forty-fmir ; of which 
number it is probable not above four or five ever 



43 

read or heard it read. This opinion is expressed 
under the belief that not more than the latter 
number would have been mean enouafh to interfere 

o 

in a matter in which they had no business or con- 
cern, had they taken a moment's time for reflection ; 
for it is well known how signers to petitions are 
generally obtained : a few names are placed at the 
head of the paper, of two or three well known 
persons of distinction in a past age, but who may 
have lost every faculty but their prejudices. These 
are as blindly followed as the appendage of the 
quadruped follows its owner. A few malicious in- 
dividuals set this machinery in motion under fal- 
lacious and false pretenses ; such, beyond per- 
ad venture started the interference with that which 
was none of their business ; prompted by jealousy 
and sustained by impudence. 

It was intended that this exposition should have 
been made during the lifetime of all the forty-four, 
but various and continued labors delayed it from 
time to time, and until but about half the number 
are among the living ; it is now published in part 
for their benefit, and to expose one of the most 
shameful attempts on the part of one society to 
annoy and ruin another, which has ever come 
within the knowledge of the writer. That the 
circumstances are truthfully stated, for confirm- 
ation the reader is referred to that mild and forbear- 
ing exposition made at the time by Mr. John Ward 



44 

Dean, and printed in the New England Historical 
and Genealogical Register, volume xiii, 266, et seq. 
Individuals are often avaricious. Little is 
thought of it, as it is common to all mankind in a 
certain degree : but a great display of avarice is 
not quite so pardonable in a corporation, ostensibly 
established for the public good. It is not proposed 
to inquire how the Massachusetts Historical So- 
ciety came into possession of certain muniments 
of another state, but certain it is it has in its pos- 
session records invaluable to Connecticut ; records 
which no individual had any right to dispose of or 
appropriate ; records without the use of which no 
true history of Connecticut can be written ; these 
consist not of a few scattering papers, but the real 
records of the most important periods of its history, 
requiring some twenty heavy folios to contain 
them. If even a Connecticut gentleman desires 
to consult these records, it costs him from one to 
two months time before he can do so, when he de- 
sires to make even copies of a few pages ! Now 
the question which will occur to every one is — 
Why is this so ? Why does not Connecticut reclaim 
her records ? The answers to these questions are 
very simple, and reflect discredit on both the pos- 
sessors and the state of Connecticut : on the former 
for retaining what they have no moral and proba- 
bly no legal right to ; and on the latter for negli- 
gence to claim their property. Has the Massa- 



45 

cliasetts Historical Society, by conferring its empty 
memberships on a few ini3uential individuals of 
Connecticut, stifled and " qualified" all claim of 
the state to its archives ? Let the authorities of 
that state answer this inquiry as best suits them. 
One other circumstance, similar in some degree 
to the above, is as follows : The Rev. Thomas 
Prince left by will his invaluable collection of 
printed books and manuscripts to the Old South 
Society in Boston, to be kept by them forever. 
This collection he called the New England Library. 
Now the conditions of this gift, were, in his own 
words : " That the same may be kept entire, I desire 
it may always be kept by itself, and that 7io person 
shall borrow any book or paper therefrom, but 
that any person, whom the pastor and deacons 
shall approve of, may have access there to and 
take copies therefrom." Now with this will on 
record, and accessible to everybody, the Massa- 
chusetts Historical Society was allowed to take 
and carry off this library ! For some twenty years, 
more or less, the Old South Society were as still as 
Comiecticut, and might have remained so to this 
day, had not the writer of this Narrative called 
public attention to the fact by an article in the 
most popular newspaper of Boston. A stir at once 
thereafter commenced, which in due time resulted 
in a return of the library (or what of it could be 
found) to the Old South Church. For the agency 



46 

the writer had in this restoration, if any thanks 
from the Old South Society were intended for him 
they fell short of their object. If they were with- 
held on the part of that society because their neg- 
lect of duty had been exposed, which doubtless 
caused some of them no little mortification, it is 
quite as satisfactory as any acknowledgment 
would have been. And as for approbation from 
the other party, he got all he expected. 

It is true that as the Prince library was situated, 
it being " in the steeple chamber" of the Old South 
Meeting-house, — it was very difficult of access ; 
nor did its removal to the room of the Massachu- 
setts Historical Society, much improve its location 
in that respect. But it is now more accessible 
than ever before ; for, soon after it was taken from 
the Massachusetts Historical Society, it was, by a 
sort of common consent of all interested, deposited 
in the Boston Public Library ; which institution 
has caused it to be put in good order and a good 
catalogue made of it. There it will be likely to 
remain, notwithstanding the will of the donor ; for 
when the Old South has disappeared, which it is 
likely will soon happen, it will be impracticable to 
find the steeple chamber of that edifice, and hence 
the library cannot be returned to it. 

The last exhibition of avarice in which the Mas- 
sachusetts Historical Society has been engaged, was 
occasioned by its retention of a large quantity of the 



47. 

papers belonging to the Commonwealth. These 
papers were, like those of Connecticut, quite volu- 
minous. They were, carelessly or accidentally, 
left in the room of the society, by a secretary of 
the state, who, by virtue of his office, or some other 
virtue, took the papers from the State House to 
the library of the society, where he was engaged 
in preparing some work for publication. It is 
sufficient to note that he left them there, and 
in a short time after, died. The state had no 
competent muniment keeper. Years passed 
away. It became generally forgotten that such 
papers were in existence. A few gentlemen, how- 
ever, did not lose sight of them, and often intimat- 
ed to the society that they should be returned. 
The society, either because it had long possessed 
them, or from some other cause, laid claim to the 
papers : and but for the persistency of one gentle- 
man, the state would probably have lost them. He 
brought the matter before the General Court, and 
after a long contest the society was compelled to 
return them, or some of them, to the Common- 
wealth. 



CHAPTER VL 

Hoio the failure of the Massacliusetts Historical Society to hrealc 
up the New England Historical Society came about, and how 
it attempted to grasp the Genealogical field — The displaced 
President turns Genealogist — Hoio %inderhand manoeuvres 
wei^e practised to obtain Farmer^ s Interleaved Register — Hoio 
the late superseded President of the Massachusetts Historical 
Society abandoned editing Hutchinson's History to secure the 
Genealogical field — How the ivorld became indebted to James 
Savage for the New England Genealogical Dictionary. 

" Some took rue for a zealous man, 
Because good preachers I did patronize, 
And many thought me a precisian, 
But God doth know I never was precise. 
I seemed devout in Godly exercise, 
And by religious show confirmed my might, 
But who durst say I was an hypocrite." 

Defeated in their attempts to drive a few histo- 
rical students from the historic fields, or to prevent 
their pursuing their labors under equal advantages 
with themselves, the next step of the old society 
was an attempt to monopolize the field of Gene- 
alogy : their champion historian having recently 
turned genealogist. It came about in this wise : 
It was well known to a member of the new So- 
ciety that Mr. John Farmer of Concord, New 
Hampshire, had interleaved a copy of his " Ge- 
nealogical Register of the First Settlers of New 
England," and had therein made valuable manu- 
script additions to his original work. This fact 



49 

being brought up at a meeting of the New England 
Historical and Genealogical Society, action was at 
once taken to obtain the loan of that volume, with 
the privilege of copying his additions. This matter 
was put into the hands of the corresponding secre- 
tary of the Society, he being a member of the New 
Hampshire Historical Society, and an intimate of 
the late author of the work. The volume was 
known to be in the keeping of that society. The 
corresponding secretary at once, January 8th, 
1845, wrote to the president of that society, Mr. 
N. G. Upham of Concord, enclosing the request 
of th'e New England Historical and Genealogical 
Society. A compliance with the request was 
granted without delay. The book was brought 
to Boston, by Mr. Upham himself and placed in 
the hands of the corresponding secretary, within 
a week from the time of the application. 

On examination of Mr. Farmer's additions to 
his original work, those did not prove to be of very 
considerable importance ; nevertheless it was con- 
cluded advisable to copy them, and accordingly 
another extensively interleaved volume of Mr. 
Farmer's original work was prepared to receive 
them. Thus much it was accounted necessary to 
say as introductory to the following sequel : — 

The editor of Winthrop's Journal, not far from 
this time announced his intention to issue a new 
7 



50 

edition of Farmer's Register. That announcement 
was not made until some time subsequent to the 
possession of the interleaved copy by the New 
England Historical and Genealogical Society, as 
will be evident from what follows. 

Owing to the fact that Mr. Farmer's work had 
in some measure disappointed the officers of the 
Society, in respect to the value of its additions, will 
account for the circumstance that no action was 
taken for printing it by the Society, consequently 
it laid in the Society's possession several months. 
In the meantime the idea probably got into Mr. 
James Savage's head that there was a good oppor- 
tunity io deal a telling blow against the success 
of the New England Historical and Genealogical 
Society, by taking to himself the whole genealo- 
gical field : and in order to do this he must first 
avail himself of the most recent labors of John 
Farmer. However this may have been, events of 
the period show pretty conclusively, that making 
a large display of genealogical knowledge was 
quite recent with him : for not long before he went 
to England, (which was in 1841J), he told Dr. 
William Jenks (as the Doctor told the writer) that 
on his return from England he intended to devote 
the following five years in editing an edition of 
Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts. 

Thus while the officers of the New England His- 
torical and Genealogical Society were in doubt 



51 

what to do with Farmer's work, an order came 
from Mr. Upham requesting that the volume be 
returned, as it was desired for use in the library 
of the New Hampshire Historical Society. Ac- 
cordingly the volume was delivered to the mes- 
senger who brought the order. Curiously enough, 
the volume, instead of going into the library of 
the New Hampshire Historical Society, went di- 
rectly or indirectly into the hands of James Sa- 
vage ! 

It has been regretted by some that the New Eng- 
land Historical and Genealogical Society did not 
publish Farmer's work as he left it. A proposition 
to that effect was discussed by the members, but 
it was considered that so much had come to light 
since Mr. Farmer ceased his labors, that it was 
not advisable : still, as events have since fallen out, 
it is regretted that it was not done ; for then the 
genealogical public would have had Farmer's work 
as he left it ; whereas, whatever value there was 
in his additions, that value is buried so deep that 
no man can find it : thus depriving the author of 
those honors so justly due to his memory. 

When Mr. Savage learned that the New Eng- 
land Historical and Genealogical Society was in 
possession of Mr. Farmer's work, it would have 
been a manly act, or one of courtesy at least, for 
him to have conferred with some of the officers of 
that society respecting it. He did no such thing. 
There was no necessity for any underhand pro- 



52 

ceedings to get possession of Farmer's work. At 
all events the work was not kept from the rightful 
owners a day, and whatever delay there may have 
been in reaching Mr. Savage it is of no importance 
to inquire : it only brought out in bold relief his 
antagonism to the New England Historical and 
Genealogical Society : a hostility for which all 
mankind in general and New England in particu- 
lar are indebted for " THE NEW ENGLAND GE- 
NEALOGICAL DICTIONARY." 

As already stated, Mr. Savage's labors on Win- 
throp's Journal had given his name considerable 
prominence. However much credit he deserved 
for that labor, he received a good deal more than 
he deserved ; and whoever will take the pains to 
read the review of that work, before referred to, 
will find the merits of that labor impartially dis- 
cussed ; therefore it need not be further considered 
here. One point, however, will be noticed in this 
place : it is for the purpose to show how prejudice 
will warp some minds, and how such minds will 
cling to an assertion when once made, against 
the plainest demonstration of its falsity. Find- 
ing something he could not understand respecting 
certain land controversies in New Hampshire, 
Winthrop's editor at once assumed- that there was 
a forgery somewhere ; and as he could discover 
nothing among late transactions, he fastens upon 
an early deed of certain Indians to John Wheel- 



53 

Wright. Now that a deed may have been forged 
is very possible ; but that the one in question is a 
forgery has not been proved, nor any sufficient 
motive for such forgery given. Without duly con- 
sidering this question, he assumed that he had 
discoverd an immense mare's nest, into which he 
vaulted^ and in which he floundered to the end of 
his days. 

A singularly appropriate and truthful epitaph 
was in circulation on Mr. Savage shortly after his 
decease. A copy was obtained by the writer of 
this Narrative. It is at present withheld from 
publication. Should another edition of this work 
be called for the epitaph may appear with it. 

Permanence of institutions is a great considera- 
tion with their founders. There are but few livino; 
who know what it cost to establish the New Eng- 
land Historical and Genealogical Society. After 
it was well established, it was far from agreeable 
to those who had " borne the heat and burthen of 
the day," to witness anything like ignoring its 
originators ; to observe new men step in, claiming 
to know more of its history, its objects, and so 
forth, than those Avho had laid the foundation of 
it. Great self importance on the part of such new 
comers, knowing nothing of the treatment of the So- 
ciety by the Massachusetts Historical Societ}^, seem 
ready with laudations of the latter; apparently eager 
to do all in their power to be made members of it. 



54 

These have small excuse for not being acquainted 
with the long and continued efforts of that society 
to prevent the New England Historical and Gene- 
alogical Society, from even an existence : and yet 
in their book of proceedings had the effrontery to 
say the New Society has its best wishes ! That so- 
ciety may next claim, and with equal truth, as 
certain members of the British Parliament did 
respecting the growth and importance of the Ame- 
rican Colonies — that it was by their protection 
and fostering care, kindness and liberality that they 
had become great and powerful : the answer of 
Col. Barre to which is too well known to require 
repetition, and will apply perfectly in this case. 
It is in spite of the intrigues and oppressions of 
that society that the New England Historical and 
Genealogical Society has become one of the fore- 
most Historical Societies in the country. 



APPENDIX. 

Page 11. 

When that part of the manuscript was sent to the 
printer, it had heen settled hy the only proper authority, 
that the title of the Society's periodical should not be 
changed from what it had been up to 1874. In defiance 
of this order of the Society, another number of the 
work has been issued with the false title. It was an 
essential part of the title that it should contain a cut 
of the Seal of the Society, and as an important part of 
its name— NEW ENGLAND, AND ANTIQUARIAN 
JOURNAL. These have been discarded. Now it is 
affirmed that this change would never have been 
thought of but from some sinister design of the tran- 
sient editor — a man not a historical scholar, not a 
genealogist, and not possessing a single antiquarian 
trait. For whatever of these qualities the periodical 
exhibits since he has been the nominal editor is due 
mainly to others. 

This nominal editor made a long and incoherent de- 
fense of his action before the executive board of the 
Society, but when the vote was taken there was a 
majority of eight to four against the change. He 
claimed to have a majority of a publishing committee 
in favor of the change. Suffice to say that that pub- 
lishing committee have not a shadow of authority in 
the matter. That committee was constituted solely 
to shield the editor regarding matter otFered for inser- 
tion in the work, and to pass upon the merits or pre- 
cedence of articles. Most of the members of this 
committee are new men, and have unwittingly been 



56 

committed to tte change, not imagining probably that 
there was a large cat in that meal. And in the same 
sinister proceeding among the patrons of the periodical 
he has got some of them to say they approve of the 
change ! JSTow the writer hereof has happened to meet 
with several of those patrons who have been thus en- 
trapped. J^ot one has jQt been met with, who, after 
being particularly informed as to the premises, but 
what is opposed to it, and has expressed surprise that 
it was ever even proposed. The immense pains this 
editor has taken to forestall the opinions of the patrons 
of the periodical, by obtruding letters upon them, 
couched in such terms, that if answered at all, could 
be construed into an approval of his act, is not to go 
unexposed. 

Finally, the writer requests it to be distinctly un- 
derstood, that he makes this exposition solely in what 
he concieves to be the vital interest of the Society, and 
that he had no further interest in it or its periodical, 
than every member of the Society ought to have ; that 
if he feels more keenly an aggression upon them than 
younger members, sensible members will not fail to 
apjpreciate the impulse which dictated this Il^arrative. 



J /i ri. * J '/y. ^^f/^ C^l^; 



t: 



NARRATIVE REMARKS, 

EXrOSITOKY NOTES, 

AM) 

HISTORICAL CRITICISMS, 

ON TJIE 

NEW ENGLAND 

%UXnUix\ and (^mt^U^\t^^\ ^orirty, 



AND INCIDENTALLY ON THE 



MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



